Holiday Collection & Trees
Holiday Schedule
Collection occurs on all holidays except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. For Thanksgiving, if your collection day falls on or after the holiday, collection will occur one day later that week. There will be no changes to the collection schedule for Christmas or New Year holidays since they fall over the weekend. Use the Collection Calendar Widget to see the schedule for your home.
On Call Plus Clean Up appointments and cart exchanges are not available during the holiday tree recycling period (between December 26th and the third Friday in January).
As an alternative for bulky item disposal during this time, residents may call Recology to request a Voucher to the SMaRT Station. On Call Plus appointments expire on December 31st each year and are not transferable to the next year; however, a Voucher issued in December may be used in the following January. Visit Clean Up Programs and Dump Voucher for more information.
Holiday trees will be collected at no charge on your compost day from December 26th until the third Friday in January. If your tree was set out properly (see below) and is not collected, please contact Recology Mountain View at (650) 967-3034 or email ContactUsRMV@recology.com.
Set Out Instructions
Green and flocked trees with wood stands are accepted, but please no tinsel, decorations, or metal or plastic stands.
Small trees: please cut up holiday trees so they fit easily into the compost carts for collection by the regular truck.
Large trees: please cut into 5 feet pieces and place in the street gutter next to your driveway so they can be easily seen by drivers (and not missed because they were next to hedges or bushes). Large trees will be collected by a special rear-loading truck.
After the third Friday in January, residents may only recycle trees (cut up) in the compost cart or use a free On Call Plus appointment or attach an extra garbage tag.
Apartment managers and businesses may arrange for on-site tree collection services by calling Recology Mountain View at (650) 967-3034.
Recycle Old Holiday Lights
Recycle broken or burned-out holiday lights by using one of take-back services:
- SMaRT Station, 301 Carl Road, Sunnyvale, (408-752-8530). Strands of lights that have seen their last holiday, whether broken or working, can be dropped off for recycling at the SMaRT Station Recycling Center, located at 301 Carl Road, Sunnyvale, open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except Christmas and New Year's Days. Located in the Buy-Back & Drop Off Center, put lights in the large U-waste (universal waste) collection container labeled "Holiday Light Recycling" and "Residents Only." There are no restrictions on the numbers of strands allowed for drop off by residents at this time.
- Christmas Light Source Recycling Program, 4313 Elmwood Drive, Benbrook, TX 76116. The bulbs will be recycled (not incinerated), and proceeds will be used to purchase books for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in their area. You’ll also get a coupon to save 10 percent on a future order of replacement bulbs.
- Batteries & Lamps Recycling (curbside or drop off)
Extra Holiday Recycling for Homes (split-carts)
Extra recycling will be collected on your recycling day at no charge and is available year-round.
If you have more recycling than will fit in your home's "split" recycling cart, use paper grocery bags or boxes for extra recycling. Do not use plastic trash bags. Place mixed paper, newspaper and small pieces of cardboard together in one paper bag next to cart. Place bottles and cans in another paper bag next to cart. In the event of rain, please double-bag recycling.
Flatten and lean larger cardboard pieces (no larger than 3’ x 3’) against the recycling cart. Be sure to bundle large amounts of cardboard with string for faster collection. Do not put cardboard in the compost cart.
Extra Holiday trash
Sometimes the holidays bring more waste than can be recycled or composted. If you occasionally have extra trash that will not fit in your trash cart, purchase an extra garbage sticker. Attach extra garbage stickers to plastic trash bags and place next to cart so the sticker is visible to the driver. Please do not put bags in old trash cans.
Extra Garbage Stickers may be purchased from Safeway stores, City Hall Finance Department or at the Mountain View Recycling Center, 935 Terra Bella Avenue, Mountain View. One sticker is needed per 32-gallon plastic bag to be collected.